Liquid-container



C. CONOVER.

LIQUID CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE if?, |919.

1 ,398,841 Patented Nov. 29, 1921.

coUmrNEY coNovnn, or BHILADELPHIA, rENNsYLvANIa LIQUID-conrmna.

rsaaeai.

Application led June 14,

To all lw hom t may Conce/rn Be it known that I, CoUR'rNEY CoNovnR, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Liquid-Containers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to liquid containers and has particular reference to that class of containers adapted to receive and maintain volatile liquids normally in a liquefied condition. j

An important object of the invention is to provide in a container of the above mentioned character a means whereby the rate of volatilization may be automatically controlled.

A. further object of the invention is to provide in a device of the above mentioned character a means whereby the pressure in the container may be maintained substantially constant under varying conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a container of the above men'- tioned character a' means whereby a portion of the volatile liquid may be subjected to a heat to volatilize the portion so subjected without transmitting the heat to the main portion of liquid.

A further object of the invention is toprovide in a container of the above men* tioned character a means whereby the -evolved gases may be conducted or transmitted from the interior of the receptacle throughrelatively small openings to prevent transmission of the heat of the evolved gases to the main portion of the volatile liquid within the container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the coursev of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying` drawings.

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through the device embodying my invention, and,

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred form of my invention, the numeral 5 indicates a tank adapted to receive therein a liquefied Specification of Letters Patent.

)Patented N ov. 29, 1921.

1919. serial No. 304,239.

gas or other volatile liquids as shown at G. lhe container 5 is provided with a top closure G and communicates with a channel 7 extending downwardly substantially to the base of the tank as shown. The channel 7 opens dlrectly into a second container 8 whlch 1s spaced from the container 5 by means of suitable insulating blocks as shown at 9, the insulating blocks serving as a means also for supporting the tank 5. The second tank 8 is substantially a duplicate of the tank 5 and is provided with a channel 10, which extends downwardly and opens into a thlrd tank 11 which is spaced from the second tank -8 by means of insulating blocks of suitable material as shown at 12. The third or outside tank 11 is provided at its top wlth a pipe 13 having a manually operated valve disposed therein as is diagrammaticallyy shown at 14. The pipe 13 is provided further with an enlarged portion 15 Ito provide a pressure chamber 16 which communicates with a safety valve 17 of any conventional type, the safety valve bemg adapted to relieve any excessive pressure accumulated withinthe chamber 16 as will hereinafter be more fully described. To the enlarged portion 15 there is connected a suitable pipe 18 within which is disposed a valve seat 19 adapted to receive the pointed end of a reciprocating needle valve 20, which valve is centrally secured to a metallic diaphragm 21 suitably secured .to the enlarged portion 15 as shown at 22.

Within the tank 5 there is arranged a vertically disposed tube 23 which extends4 downwardly substantially to the bottom of the tank and is at its upper end suitably secured to the tanks 5, 8 and 11 as shown at '24, 25 and 26, res ectively. The tube 23 is, at its upper en preferably funnel shaped as shown with a funnel at 27 and has a top closure 28 to which is secured a pipe 29, which pipe in turn is connected to a conduit 30 which is adapted to transmit the evolved gases to any locality at which it is desired to utilize. such gases. The pipe 30 is provided with a manually operated valve 30 which may be opened or closed as desired to permit the gases to escape from the pipe 29 or to prevent the escape thereof as will hereinafter be more full described. The funnel sha ed end 27 of t e tube 23 is surrounded wit a jacket 31 into which a suitable heating medium is adapted to be transmitted through a pipe 32. Withimthe closure 28 there is arranged a supply tube 33 by means of which any desired volatile liquld or liquefied gas may be supplied to or injected into the .tank 5 through the elongated tube 23. The tube 33 terminates in a funnel shaped end 34 and is provided with a manually operated -valve 35 adapted to be closed when a sultable quantity of liquid has been deposited into the tank 5. n

In use, the operation of the device 1s as follows: A suitable quantity of liquefied gas or other volat-ile substance is directed into the tank 5 through the pipe 33 and the elongated tube 23 whereupon the valve 35 1s closed. When the liquid 1s being introduced into the tank 5 the valve 14 is allowed to remain open to permit any air or gas withln the several tanks to escape as the liquid rises within the tank When a suitable quantity of liquid has been introduced the valve 14 is closed and likewise the valve 30 1s also closed. When the pressure within the several tanks is normal the valve 20, due to the tension of the diaphragm 21 is seated within the seat 19 in which instance communication between the chamber 16 and the pipe 29 is severed. Asa result of evap. eration of the volatile liquid within the tank 5 pressure within the chamber 16 Iand the several containers is increased, which, assuming that the valve 30 is opened, forces the liquid within the container to a level as shown b the dotted lines within the. funnel 27 of ig. 1. When the liquid has risen within the funnel 27, heat is supplied through the pipe 32 to the jacket 31. As a result of this applicationof heat the liquid within the funnel 27 is volatilized, filling the pipe 29 with the evolved gases, which gases are then drawn off through the pipe 30 and carried to that location at which they are to be utilized. Should the gases be evolved by the application of heating as above described at a greater rate than they are drawn off the pressure within the pipe 29 necessarily increases, forcing the liquid within the tube 23 downwardly therein as a result of which excess pressure is built up within chamber 16. The excess pressure within the chamber 16 moves the diaphragm 2l outwardly, causing the valve 20 to unseat itself from its seat 19, thereby establishing communication between the chamber 16 and the pipe 29. As a resultI of communication being established between the chamber 16 and the pipe 29 the pressure therefore above the liquid within the container 5 becomes equal to the pressure above the liquid within the funnel 27. As S a result of this equalization the liquid within the funnel 27 then drops, thereby preventing rapid evaporation of the liquid due to the fact that the liquid within the funnel 27 has been moved out ofcontact with the heat of the surrounding heating medium within the jacket 31. When a suiiicient amount of evolved gases have been drawn oil from the pipe 29 to permit the diaphragm 21 to overcome the pressure within the chamber 16 the valve 20 under the influence of the diaphragm 2l severs communication between the chamber 16 and the pipe 29, thereby trapping gases under pressure within the chamber 16, the pressure of which gases is for a short period equal to the pressure of the gases within the pipe 29 but as the gases within the pipe 29 are continued to be drawn off through the pipe 30 the pressure within the pipe 29 becomes less than the pressure within the chamber 16. Due to the unbalanced pressures Within the chamber 16 and the pipe 29, the pressure within the chamber 16 being greater, the liquid within the container 5 rises within the tube 23 in which instance rapid yevaporation of the liquid within the funnel shaped end 27 of the tube 23 is caused by the heating medium within the jacket 31.

Should the valve 20 for any reason become stuck within its seat 19 or fail to operate otherwise, anyexcessive pressure within the chamber 16 may be relieved by the safety valve 17 which may be of any conventional type.

Attention is called to the fact that the channels 7 and 10 which lead from the containers 5 and 8, respectively, are relatively small in horizontal cross sectional area, and attention is further called to the fact that these channels convey the evolved gases downwardly from within containers 5 and 8,

respectively. The object for providing the smallest possiblev channels is to make possible the transmitting of the evolved gases from containers 5 and 8, respectively, through the smallest possible space so that any heat within the evolved gases ma be confined to the smallest surface area o the containers 5 and 8 to prevent excessive volatilization of the liquid G, due to the transfer of the heat from the evolved gases through the wall ofthe containers 8 and 5.

It` is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United tates, is:

1.. A device of the character described comprising a container adapted to receive a volatile liquid under pressure, a retainin element communicating with said container for receiving a portion of the liquid, the liquid being forced into Said retaining elenient by the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said container. said pressure being greater than the pressure exerted upon the liquid Within the receiving element, means for applying heat to a portion of the liquid within said retaining element to increase the pressure exerted upon the liquid withinsaid retaining element, and means for equalizing the pressures exerted respectively upon the liquid within said container and said retailiing element.

2. A device of the character described comprising a container adapted to receive a volatile liquid under pressure, a retaining element communicating with said contamer for receiving a portion of the liquld, the liquid being forced into said retaining element by the pressure exerted upon the Lquid within said container, said pressure being greater than the pressure exerted upon the liquid within the retaining element, ineans for applying heat to a portion ot the llquid within said retaining element to increase the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said retaining element, and automatically actuated means for equalizing the pressures exerted respectively upon the liquid within said container and said receiving element.

3. A device of the character described comprising a container adapted to receive a volatile liquid under pressure, a retaining element communicating with said container for receiving a portion of the liquid, the liquid being forced into said retaining element by the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said container, said pressure being greater than the pressure exerted upon the liquid Within the retaining element, means for applying heat to a portion of the liquid Within said retaining element to increase the ypressure exerted upon theliquid within said retaining element, and pressure actuated means for equalizing the pressures exerted respectively upon the liquid within said container and said retaining element.

4. A device of the character described comprising a. container adapted to receive a volatile liquid under pressure, a retaining element communicating with said container for receiving a portion of the liquid, the liquid being forced into said retaining element by the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said container, said pressure being greater than the pressure exerted upon the liquid Within the retaining element, means for applying heat to a portion of the liquid Within said retaining element to increase the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said retaining element, a pressure actuated valve for establishing communication between said container and said retaining element to equalize the pressure exerted respectively upon the liquid Within said container and said retaining element.

5. A device of the character described comprising a container adapted to receive a volatile liquid under pressure, a retaining element communicating with said container for receiving a portion of the liquid, the liquid being forced into said retaining element by the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said container, said pressure being greater than the pressure exerted upon the liquid Within the retaining element, means for applying heat to a portion of the liquid within said retaining element to increase the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said retaining element, means for eqnalizing the pressures exerted respectively upon the liquid Within said container and said retaining element whereby the liquid Within said retaining element is moved to prevent volatilization thereof by the application of heat thereto.

6. A device of the character described comprising a container adapted to receive a volatile liquid under pressure, a retaining element communicating with said container for receiving a portion of the liquid, the liquid being forced into said retaining element by the pressure exerted upon the liquid within said container, said pressure being greater than the pressure exerted upon the liquid Within the retaining element, means for applying heat to a portion' of the liquid within said retaining element to increase the pressure exerted upon the liquid Within said retaining element, means for equalizing the pressures exerted respectively upon the liquid Within said container and said retaining element whereby the liquid within said retaining element is moved to prevent excessive volatilization thereof by the application of heat thereto.

7. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks arranged Within each other and spaced from each other, the innermost of said tanks being adapted to receive a volatile liquid, means for applying heat to a portion of said volatile liquid to rapidly volatilize the same, means for moving a portion of the liquid out of contact With said heat, said means being operated upon the increase of gaseous pressure created by the'evolved gases. 8. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks arranged Within each other and spaced from each other, the innermost of said tanks being adapted to receive a volatile liquid, means for applying heat to a portion of said volatile liquid to rapidly volatilize the same, means for moving aportion of the liquid out of contact With said heat, said means being operated upon the increase of gaseous pressure created by the evolved gases, and means for relieving excessive pressure from Within said tanks.

9. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks arranged within each other and spaced from each other, the innermost of said tanks belng adapted to receive a volatile liquid2 means for applying heat to a portion-of sald volatile liquid to rapidly volatilize the saine, means for moving a portion of the l1qu1d out of contact with said heat, said means being operated upon the increase of gaseous pressure created by the evolved gases, means for relieving excesslve pressure from Within said tanks.

10. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of tanks arranged Within each other and spaced from each other, the innermost of said tanks being adapted to receive a volatile liquid, 'a chamber communicating with said tanks, means for applying heat to a portion of said liquid to rapidly volatilize the same, a portion of the evolved gases being directed into said chamber, and automatically operated means COURTNEY CON OVER.

for rendering the pressure Within said cham- 

